Odisha forest team rescues 108 parrot hatchlings, arrests suspect in Mayurbhanj

Acting on specific information, forest officers in Mayurbhanj carried out a raid that rescued 108 parrot hatchlings and led to the on‑the‑spot arrest of 38‑year‑old SK Zakir Hussain, son of Sek Hanif, in the Rairangpur forest range. The operation, led by Forest Officer Jyoti Ranjan Sahabi, took place on March 7, 2026 and immediately triggered a case at the Rairangpur forest range police station under relevant wildlife protection laws.

"Acting on specific information, the team raided the location this evening and seized the chicks along with feeding materials and a cage used for their care," forest staff said after the seizure. Officers inventoried the haul as 108 parrot hatchlings, feeding materials, and a keeping cage; officials described the arrest as made at the scene during the raid. Gorumahisani Range Officer Kashinath Hansda and other range officers from Gorumahisani and Rairangpur joined Sahabi in follow‑up work at the site.

The rescued birds were described as parrot hatchlings, likely Alexandrine parakeets or similar native species, though species confirmation from a veterinarian has not yet been released. Investigators have traced sourcing for the chicks to several local areas named in the probe: Chedheipahadi, Sorogoda, Patapur, and Bisoi. Authorities say the birds were being collected and prepared for illegal movement across state lines and to urban markets, allegedly bound for Jharkhand as well as cities such as Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and other states.

Officials reported a market incentive for traffickers, noting that "each hatchling fetched over Rs 1,500 in the black market." Reporter calculation: at that price, the 108 seized hatchlings represent roughly Rs 162,000 in alleged black‑market value. The seizure therefore removed not only vulnerable chicks but also a stock with clear commercial value to traffickers.

On the welfare side, officers emphasized the birds' fragility, saying the rescued chicks are "highly vulnerable in their early stages" and, as planned, "will be handed over to the authorities at Nandankanan Zoological Park tomorrow for proper care, rehabilitation, and eventual release into the wild wherever possible." The handover was scheduled for March 8, 2026; Nandankanan Zoological Park had not yet issued a public statement confirming receipt or the birds' condition at the time of the raid report.

A formal investigation is underway. Officials said they intend to "dismantle the smuggling network and identify other involved parties," with Kashinath Hansda and Sahabi continuing the probe. The case file at Rairangpur forest range police station will record the charges under the applicable wildlife protection statutes as the investigation proceeds.